Display apparatus



S p 26, 1961 E. J SCHAEFERS DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1956 r I l 3,001,309 DISPLAY APPARATUS I Elvin J. Schaefers, Maywood Place, St. Paul, Minm Filed June 6, 1956, Ser. No..589,610 A 1 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-129) 1 This invention relates to an apparatus for carrying display or identification material upon an automobile. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus which may very quickly and easly be mounted in the rain gutter or drip mold of an automobile (directly above the doors thereof) to carry printed or pictorial matter intended to advertise some product or service, or to identify the owner of the automobile, etc.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial N01 512,135 'filed May 31, 1955, now abandoned. i

There have heretofore been numerous devices intended for carrying various paraphernalia upon the roof of an automobile, and there have also been some prior devices for displaying advertising material,.etc.'on the side or top surface of an automobile. However, noneof such prior devices has gone into wide usage, despite an obvious and ready demand for means whereby advertising and promotional material can conveniently be afiixed to a car where it will be viewed by a large number of prospective purchasers; or other persons with whom it isdesired to make advertising contact.

One principal reason why previous devices have not succeeded commercially is that they either have been diflicult and inconvenient to'aflix to the automobile, or that they have not been adapted to stay securely thereon. Also, some of such prior articles have required the formation of special apertures, etc. in the automobile body or roof, or have not been constructed sothat the particular message or advertising material carried in the display may be easily changed at frequent intervals.

The-apparatus of the present invention, in contrast to those previouslyused, maybe attached to an automobile, of any standard type, with little effort, and may be removed therefrom with equal ease, and with no damage to the finish or structure of the car per se.

One particular objective of my apparatus is to provide a device in which a particular advertising message shown on the display (such as some special offer being currently made) may quickly and conveniently be changed to some other specific display material, to conform to a new current ofiering or other promotion which has supplanted the old.

The various embodiments of my apparatus are capable of being manufactured at low cost, on a mass production basis. The various elements in the apparatus are highly durable in nature, and are thus adapted to be removed from or mounted on a car many times without impairment of their utility. The parts of my apparatus may be manufactured from materials which are generally available on the market, and which are adapted to be tooled and formed Without requirement of expensive machinery of a special nature.

Other particular objectives of my apparatus are to provide a display for automobiles which may easily be attached thereto by one person; which is capable of being compactly stored when not in use; which will fit automobiles of different length or configuration, and which will not obstruct the view of the drive when in use.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of a dilferent embodiment of my apparatus (with one board clamping means), mounted on an automobile, and with a board held within it broken away to show the right hand clamp in elevation.

' FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view, of FIGURE 1,

- at the clamp.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, but ,with two board clamping means.

. FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional 'view of the apparatus,

with two board clamping means.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of I FIGURE 1.

said supporting member 32 is ofliset, at an angle, so that it will extend on a plane substantially parallel to the curved edge portion of automobile roof top 34. The tip of upper end 33 is apertured, and bolt 35 is threaded therethrough. Resilient cup 36 is alfixed to the lower end of bolt 35,. and, as shown particularly in FIGURES 2 and 4, rests upon automobile roof top 34. The shank of bolt 35.is fittedwith a pair of nuts 37 and 37a. The lower one of these two nuts, 37a, may be threaded along said shank to force end 33 upwardly, thereby urging member 32 into vertical position. Because of the configuration of most rain gutters, member 32 will tend to tilt slightly inward, over the car, when nut and bolt assembly 41 (hereinafter referred to) is tightened. Nut 37a: is. utilized, inthe manner above referred to, to get member 32 back on the desirable perpendicular line.

The lower end of supporting 'member 32 is provided with rain gutter clamping means 38. This member, as shown, comprises two short strips of relatively heavy metal set at right angles to each other, in generally cruci form relationship. Each end of each of these strips of metal, 39 and 40, is hooked to form a gutter engaging tip. Clamping means 38 is held upon the lower end of member 32 by wing nut and'bolt assembly 41 which permits element 38 to be rotated in such manner that any one of the four hooked ends on the metal strips may be brought into engagement with the inner face of gutter 42. Each ofthe four tips on clamping means 38 is hooked at a slightly different angle, and is of a slightly different length. The user of the apparatus will, of course, rotate clamping means 38 to select the particular hooked tip which best fits the configuration of gutter 42 on his particular automobile. After the most desirable hooked tip has been determined, by experimentation, wing nut and bolt assembly 41 is tightened, whereupon gutter 42 Will be pinched between clamping means 38, and the lower tip of supporting member 32. I find it desirable that the lower terminal portion of said member 32 should be curved slightly, as at 43, :so that it will better conform to the generally curved exterior surface of gutter 42.

FIGURES 2, 4 and 5 illustrate a variety of brackets which may be affixed to the outwardly facing surface of member 32, in order to carry the sign, or such like, upon which the advertising or identification material is carried. Bracket 44, shown particularly in FIGURES 2 and 5, is especially suitable for use when the advertising message is to be carried on one board or plaque 45, extending lengthwise of the car. This bracket is provided with a plurality of apertures along its length, and the main length of supporting member 32 is likewise provided with a number of apertures 46. Nut and bolt 47, and/or wing nut and bolt assembly 41 serve to hold bracket 44 in firm position against the outer face of supporting member 32. The parallel end portions 48 and 4811 are each provided with an opening whereby screws 49 and 49a can be driven down into board 45, being carried in 0 the bracket.

Bracket 50, as shown in FIGURE 4, is considerably longer than bracket 44 heretofore referred to, and is 3 adapted to carry two or more boards 51 and 52, in position one over the other: see FIGURE 3.

When this larger bracket 50 is being used (particularly when its lower end'is positioned toward'the-top. ofjthe main body of supporting member 32), it is desirable. to employ strut member '53 to hold it in erect position. Said strut member 53 is fixed in position by the threading of bolt 35 through one of its apertured ends, andbyfixing its other apertured end within the nut and bolt assembly 54, which is utilized to hold board 51 in display'position.

The end portion of board 52 is aifixed to bracket 50 by nut and bolt means 55 and 55a.

Inv some instances, it may be desirable to suspend a particular advertising message from the apparatus, rather than mounting that message in a bracket such as brackets 44 or 50. For this purpose, I provide arm '56, which may be secured to bolt 35, and extend therefrom down the in clined face of upper end 33. An advertising message may be affixed to the bent over vertical tip 57 of said arm 56.

It will be apparent that the precise construction of brackets 44 and 50, and of arm 56, could be modified to meet the requirements at hand. For example, either of those brackets, or the arm, could be made shorter or longer, or either of their projecting tips (e.g., 48 and 48a) could be eliminated. Also, it should be understood that I contemplate the use of brackets 50 and 44 in conjunction with each other, at the same time. For example, bracket 44 could be interposed between the exterior face of bracket 50, and the inward face of board '52, if that were desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

Apparatus for displaying advertising or identification material upon an automobile having a rain gutter, comprising a supporting member adapted for upright atfixation to the rain gutter of an automobile, the upper end portion of said supporting member being offset, at an angle, to extend inwardly over said automobile, on a plane substantially parallel to the curved edge portion of the roof top of said automobile, when said supporting member is aflixed thereto, the offset upper end portion of said supporting member being apertured, a shaft passing through said aperture and extending downwardly therefrom toward said automobile roof top and at an angle of approximately 90 thereto, the lower end of said shaft being provided with a resilient cup adapted to bear upon the top surface of said automobile, said shaft being threaded and being provided with a first nut positioned below said offset upper end portion, and a second nut positioned above saidoflset upper end portion, said nuts being adjustable along the length of said shaft to cause the same to extend a greater or less distance downwardly, said shaft serving to maintain said supporting member in upright position, the lower end of said supporting member being adapted to lie against the outer surface of said'rain gutter, the inwardly lying face of the lower end of said supporting member being provided with rain gutter clamping means, said means including a pair of strips fixed at right angles to each other in generally cruciform relationship, said strips being formed with a plurality of diiierently hooked gutter engaging tips, said means being rotatable for positioning of any desired tip into gutter engaging position, and means whereby said gutter clamping means and the lower end of said supporting member may be drawn toward each other to pinch said rain gutter between them, the outer face of said supporting member being provided with bracket means for holding advertising or identification material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,637 King Feb. 11, 1908 1,224,446 Campbell May 1, 1917 1,752,591 Ellis Apr. 1, 1930 2,074,250 Bone Mar. 16, 1937 2,214,302 Keller et al. Sept. 10, 1940 2,529,285 Felton Nov. 7, 1950 2,603,394 Beck July 15, 1952 2,606,381 Wilson 'Aug. 12, 1952 2,667,002 Clore Jan. 26, 1954 2,807,398 Mathews Sept. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,518 Belgium Feb. 15, 1952 672,551 Great Britain May 21, 1952 

